…in Europe.

I’m not trying to take anything away from the film at all; I want to clarify that from the start. I, like the rest of the world, want to make sure Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson are able to stay successful. I’m worried about them. But, really, I don’t want motion capture animation to disappear.

The biggest accomplishment here is that the stop motion animation technique was such a success. Woo, animation. You get one point. Because after Mars Needs Moms earlier this year, the fate of the device was not looking so good to say the least. This was mainly due to Disney pulling the plug on their division. But also, does Disney need Pixar and another animation studio…? Greedy, greedy.

But I can’t say that this is necessarily a good thing for the practice. Not because I hate motion capture. Not because I don’t think Spielberg’s still got it. It’s because Tintin is time tested in Europe.

Why is that a problem? It’s not. It’s good for the movie’s international appeal. Tintin doesn’t come out until around Christmas in the states, which is really the perfect time for it. Family friendly movies do great around the holidays to counter balance the award focused depressing movies. But, it doesn’t have the same appeal that it would in Europe. Here, it is another re-imagination of a cartoon that is much less beloved. And, really, much less known, especially to the demographic that it’s aimed at.

When push comes to shove, Spielberg and Jackson’s seal of approval should catapult this into American success as well. So, fret not. Neither of them will be homeless come this time next year. But don’t expect this to save the future of stop motion.

The Adventures of Tintin features the vocal talents of Jamie Bell, Daniel Craig, Simon Pegg, and Andy Serkis (who you may know from playing motion captured Gollum or Caesar from this summer’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes.)

In some sense, others have fared much worse. Studios injected obvious failures with tons of extra millions of dollars. Green Lantern had problems from the start and handing the film $250 million didn’t even seem like a good idea at the time.

Creature, however, now has the title for the second worst opening of a wide release film ever. Having only grossed a total of $331,00 over the weekend, it appears no one went to see this thing, not even hardcore lovers of bad B-movies. Technically, Proud American did worse with $128 dollars per screen, but it was only released on 750 screens. Creature settled into over 1,500 with a $220 per theater average

Creature is the story of kids in an unfamiliar part of town who hear the rumor of a half-man half-alligator monster. I’m wondering why this did so poorly. Sure it’s a bad horror movie, but that definitely has a niche audience. The plot isn’t particularly original, but what horror movie is? As I type this article, there is the fact that it’s currently sitting pretty on a hot 11% on rottentomatoes, but still.

To round out what is usually an under-performing weekend, Creature was actually better received by critics than this weekend’s other flop Bucky Larsen: Born to be a Star. The latter still managed to take in a poor $1.45 million. This may be because it was a Happy Madison production or that people know Nick Swardson. It sure wasn’t because the trailer showed promise.

Either way, though Contagion did over $23 million and The Help keeps over performing, this weekend was not a proud time to have released a film. Maybe next time studios will think about the trash that they are putting out. Probably not though.

Scared Intern: Mr. Spielberg, I have some disappointing news for you.
Steven Spielberg: Continue.
Scared Intern: Well, remember that Cowboys & Aliens movie you put a bunch of money into. It didn’t win the box office…
Steven Spielberg: Harry Potter and Captain America still pulling their weight, huh?
Scared Intern: Actually, it was The Smurfs.
Steven Spielberg: YOU’RE FIRED!

I didn’t see either, but, while at one time I had a minor interest in Cowboys & Aliens, The Smurfs hardly resonated. However, I wasn’t supposed to want to see it; it was not a movie made for those over fourteen. But it seemed a guaranteed success. Kids love bad movies like The Smurfs because they love adorable creatures getting into trouble and easily finding their way out of it. Turn on Saturday morning cartoons. (They still have those, right?) Turn on your six-year-old brain. YOU’D go see The Smurfs if it was X number of years ago. My point isn’t that it’s easy to entertain kids; it’s that it’s harder to entertain adults.

A sci-fi/western mash-up. While the idea sounds interesting(?) on paper, actually making it a worthwhile experience is another story. I love Harrison Ford because he was Han Solo and Indiana Jones when I was a kid. I see most of his movies, and will probably see Cowboys as well. Now, he’s 100 years old, and his characters also tend to act 100 years old. But pairing him up with (almost 100-year-old) Daniel Craig for a summer blockbuster (that’s not Bond or Indy) seems like a difficult feat. Again, a lot of respect for both actors, but in the summer season, a bigger draw must exist. Because these two actors are made for adults, not rambunctious teenagers, even if you add big booms and hot chicks. It still won’t add up correctly. (Maybe throw in Ashton Kutcher? That seems to be cool nowadays. Is now 2003? Hmm.)

I guess what I’m really trying to get across is this: Good job both films! You both are experiencing exactly what Movies 101 has taught us:

Children’s movies = big blockbusters
Adult-skewing films = not summer blockbusters

So today a couple things about Johnny Depp and his Captain Jack Sparrow character. For starters, they’ve got him in negotiations for a fifth Pirates. Clearly he’s doing something right because this character will not go away. In what is now his best known role, Depp, as you know, was the only one of the original three cast members to come back for a fourth. Well, it paid off literally. More on that in a minute.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides recently passed one billion dollars worldwide. As only the eighth film to do that (and second Pirates), it is clear Depp has the star power to carry a movie himself. Sure, Geoffrey Rush and Penelope Cruz are in it—and they are in no way ‘weak’ talent—but Depp was largely to blame for its success. And, you know what, he gets paid the big bucks to do so.

How much exactly? I would hold onto your seats. According to a close source, Depp has made roughly $350 million on the four Pirates movies. What?!?!? At this point he’s not even rich; he swims in money. I think he should start a cable channel reality series where he goes around and surprises random people handing them a million dollars for nothing. Solely because he doesn’t need it anymore. I’m not saying he’s not worth the money that they’re playing him since the franchise has made over $3.5 billion worldwide, but damn!

“You’ll never believe how much more I’m making than you, kid.” – Johnny Depp in the picture above

Some people are saying this number is inaccurate, which realistically could be true. (It has to be, right? That’s too much…?) But still no one’s revealing any other figures. At this point, why wouldn’t he make another movie? No one’s ever doubted his sincerity. No one’s ever called him a sell out. After this he can make every indie art house movie he’s ever dreamed of, but why not grab one more fat paycheck (or two more, or three more, or…)

In second place was last week’s number 1 movie ‘Super 8′ taking in $21.3M while the other new release this weekend, Jim Carrey’s ‘Mr. Popper’s Penguins’ came in 3rd place with only $18M in total. My guess is releasing a kid themed movie wasn’t the best idea during Father’s Day weekend as most fathers would rather be having a barbecue than heading to the movies. Rounding out the top 5 is ‘X-Men: First Class’ in 4th place with $11.5M and The Hangover, Part II in 5th place with $9.6M. It should also be noted that ‘The Hangover, Part II’ has made $232.7M in total since its release making it the highest grossing movie of the year so far. I guess it should come as no surprise then that the ‘The Hangover, Part III’ is already in the works.

Next weekend sees the release of two pretty big summer movies, ‘Cars 2′ and ‘Bad Teacher.’ If I had to guess I’d say ‘Cars 2′ will take the number 1 spot (family/children films always seem to win the weekend) and “Bad Teacher’ will end up with a moderate box office intake at number 3.

Take a look at the complete box office results for the top ten movies according to studio estimates on Sunday…

1. Green Lanter…$52.7M

2. Super 8…$21.3M

3. Mr. Popper’s Penguins…$18.2M

4. X-Men: First Class…$11.5M

5. The Hangover, Part II…$9.6M

6. Kung Fu Panda 2…$8.7M

7. Bridesmaids…$7.5M

8. Pirates of the Caribbean…$6.2M

9. Midnight in Paris…$5.2M

10. Judy Moody…$2.2M

Happy Father’s Day Banters!

X-Men: First Class with its $55.1 million did not make as much money as any of the other films. Only the original saw less with $54.5 million. Aw, poor studio. But First Class wasn’t just another X-Men film. Instead it was a carefully constructed telling of two men and their (in)ability to get along with each other and the outside world that shuns them.

While The Last Stand and X-Men Origins: Wolverine seemed like easy paychecks, First Class used it’s small indie heart as a mixer to it’s summer blockbuster budget. Casting up-and-comers like James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender in the lead roles obviously isn’t going to grab the same crowd as Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, and Ian McKellen. The latter three are superstars. The first two are hot, but on the rise.

But it is unfair to suppose that First Class isn’t on par with the other films. Anyone who saw The Last Stand knows it was appalling. Mostly because they seemed to introduce fan favorites and then kill them off immediately. Anyone who saw Origins, knows that an Aronofsky helmed The Wolverine would have been much MUCH better. Origins was nothing more than a popcorn flick.

Instead, it should be looked at as the first one. Enjoyable to all who saw it. Good word of mouth goes a long way, and I’m sure people saying better things about First Class than that awful sequel to The Hangover. Yuck! But that brings me to my point. While The Hangover Part 2 (really) cashed in on popularity (as did The Last Stand), this one took time out of its busy day and made a movie worth watching. One that’s fun and great for multiple viewings for both the quality of movie and also cute little references to the other films.

Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass) said that he wasn’t trying to tarnish the world set up by the other films. However, he also said that if there was a conflict, he would do whatever he needed for his film to be up to his par.

Give First Class the love it deserves for the movie it is. Cause this orange was a hell of a lot better than the two previous apples.

Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides may not be one of the best movies of the year, but it’s definitely a winner in the box office category. Sure, Disney expected to cash in this year, knowing how successful the other Pirates films were (the last Pirates film was the top grossing film of 2007, earning a total of $960,996, 492 worldwide, as well as the ninth highest grossing film in history), but who would have known that even without two of its top stars (among other things…), it would have beaten every top grossing film thus far for the year? As of June 4th, the latest Pirates flick has earned a total of $790,657,000 worldwide, beating out Rio (3rd place),  The Hangover Part II (5th place), Rango (6th place), The Green Hornet (7th place), and Kung Fu Panda 2 (8th place). This year’s Pirates film is also the only film of 2011 to make the top fifty highest grossing films of all time list (although it is only number 31 on that list…).

Overall, I’d say it’s a great summer for Hollywood, since three of the films in the top ten were released within just six days of each other, and that was not too long ago. And they still have a while to go before they’ve collected their total box office revenue for the year. Let’s just see if they’ll be able to keep their places in the top ten once the summer is complete, meaning after the release of Green Lantern later this month (June 17th), followed by Disney Pixar’s Cars 2  (June 24th), Transformers: Dark of the Moon (June 29th), and finally, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (July 15th). Still, it’s a great summer for Hollywood!

Which film do you think will be number one come September?

According to thewrap.com, The Hangover: Part II had a big Thursday opening of $31.7 million. As long as less than favorable reviews do not deflate the momentum of the film, it will be sure to hit the $100 million mark by the time we all start the work week on Tuesday. However, Box Office Mojo offers a forecast for the Memorial Day weekend:

The Forecast, May 27-30 (4-day Memorial Weekend)

1. The Hangover Part II – $88 million ($122 million 5-day)

2. Kung Fu Panda 2 – $85 million ( $100 million 5-day)

3. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides – $47 million

4. Bridesmaids – $17 million

5. Thor – $10 million

From a business standpoint, Kung Fu Panda 2 has a bit more pressure on it to perform only because CGI sequels historically cash-in compared to their original titles. Box Office Mojo says “It needs around $90 million in its five-day launch to ensure it out-grosses its predecessor, because that’s the new norm for animated sequels in its position, especially with the supposed 3D boost.” Comedies like The Hangover won’t feel the heat as much but will definitely be expected to dominate the weekend at the box office.

However, when I saw The Hangover yesterday, the only non-debuting movie that was sold out was Bridesmaids and not Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. I think Bridesmaids definitely has long lasting appeal and will continue to see people turn up at the theater on pure word-of-mouth alone.

Which film are you seeing.

While ‘Fast Five’ managed to out gross ‘Thor’s opening by close to $20M, it dropped like a rock in it’s second week losing 62% of it’s audience, however, it still managed to come in 2^nd place with $32.5M. This brings the film’s total domestic gross to $140M after only 10 days in theaters, not too shabby at all. I’ve also heard some extremely positive buzz about this film as well so it should make quite a hefty amount when all is said and done.

The other mainstream film releases this week were two ‘meh’ looking films ‘Jumping the Broom’ and ‘Something Borrowed’ both wedding-themed films. ‘Broom’ took in $13.7M while ‘Borrowed’ wracked up $13.2M. This comes as no surprise as both films had awful reviews and probably would’ve had a lot more success if they weren’t competing against one another. I mean they both are so similar in plot why release them the same weekend? And why not release these the same weekend as the Royal Wedding, which definitely would’ve increased the numbers as well!

Next weekend sees the release of ‘Priest’ as well as the very funny ‘Bridesmaids’, which I had the pleasure of reviewing earlier this month:

http://www.themoviebanter.com/2011/04/snap-review-bridesmaids/

Everyone should definitely check it out as it was an awesome flick.

Here are the complete box office results for the top ten movies according to studio estimates Sunday-

1. THOR…$66 million
2. FAST FIVE…$32.5 million
3. JUMPING THE BROOM…$13.7 million
4. SOMETHING BORROWED…$13.2 million
5. RIO…$8.2 million
6. WATER FOR ELEPHANTS…$5.6 million
7. MADEA’S BIG HAPPY FAMILY…$3.9 million
8. PROM…$2.4 million
9. SOUL SURFER…$2.1 million
10. HOODWINKED TOO!…$1.9 million

Jumping all the way to third place, there’s director Joe Wright’s Hanna, starring Saoirse Ronan as a kid assassin on a European intelligence operative given to her by her father (Eric Bana, of course.) The film opened with $12.3 million, the biggest bow yet of Wright’s career, and giving the increasingly auspicious Ronan yet another impressive notch in her belt. Behind that the PG-rated Soul Surfer made $11.1 million playing at just over 2,200 sites, because I guess Hollywood really didn’t want kids to accidentally find anything close to quality at the movies this weekend. It’s about a girl who gets her arm eaten by a shark, but I think it’d save everyone time if James Franco just came in and cut if off for her.

Speaking of Mr. Franco, his latest medieval fantasy (they’re all the rage these days, you know) Your Highness started all the way down at #6 with $9.5 million at around 2,800 sites, not even scratching the $23.2 million bow of director David Gordon Green’s Pineapple Express in 2008. And yeah, this one was pretty critically smashed, too. Bummer, man.

In limited release the Morgan Freeman-narrated IMAX documentary Born to be Wild cashed in $850,000 at 206 sites, and by headlining a star-studded cast (James Caan, Keanu Reeves, Vera Farmiga) the comedy Henry’s Crime opened to $7,500 at two sites. However the real indie crowd was jamming with Wendy and Lucy director Kelly Reichardt’s Meek’s Cutoff, giving it $22,300 at two sites well as the highest per-screen average of the weekend with over $11,000.

Here are the complete box office results for the top ten movies according to studio estimates Sunday-

1. 1. Hop…$21.7 million
2. 2. Arthur (2011)…$12.6 million
3. 3. Hanna…$12.3 million
4. 4. Soul Surfer…$11.1 million
5. 5. Insidious…$9.7 million
6. 6. Your Highness…$9.5 million
7. 7. Source Code…$9.1 million
8. 8. Limitless…$5.7 million
9. 9. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules…$4.9 million

10. The Lincoln Lawyer…$4.6 million